Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello

We have a nice young mojave female-- about 150 grams. Its feeding well, it shed well, but it is biting and snapping like crazy! What is the best way to handle this? Should we be handling it a lot and feeding it a lot, or should we leave it alone for a while? Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks

my 2nd oldest male BP (HomeBoy) was like dat. really bad. super aggressive, only time i would deal with him was to feed him. he would eat every meal, even if he was stuffed. jus didnt like to be bothered with. when i had to change his water or bedding, he would just be waiting for my hand to come inside. he is now 3-4yrs old. i didnt want him to be like that all the time, i did wat i do for all snake when im unsure about their moods. i have a mini baseball bat. wat i do is, when i open their tanks, i let them see my hand and with my other hand i softly & slowly touch them with the bat. they see the bat, but dont take it as a threat, its not food & no heat coming off of it like my hand. i touch them with it for about 30secs, depending on reaction. i use other hand to touch them, rub them or pick them up. HomeBoy would let me pick him up & i would sit at the P.C. for bout an hour (he is relaxing) then all of a sudden he would go into attack mood ! crazy but i jus talk to him, letting him feel the vibration from my body. Presently, HomeBoy is still my best eatter( 3 mice this week) & my most settled BP. so that is my techinque that works for me. Best of Luck.
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There is only 2 things u got in this world, Your Word & Your Balls !

While the previous reply was interesting advice, and good advice in terms of letting the snake know you are there. I would typically use a snake hook though, not a baseball bat, but hey, whatever works.

I would suggest leaving her be for a 10-14 days. Let her get a few meals in and settle down, then handle her every couple of days, even for just short periods of time.

Also, you didn't include it in the post, but make sure your temps are correct nad that she has a hide to feel safe.

Best of luck.

-john

I'm not seeing how long you've had said snippy ball - but if it's been a while and she is settled in and feeding well - then you can start handling her.

My best advice is to just take her out of her cage and sit with her (in your hands or on your lap) - limit your movement of and around her - let her do all the exploring and getting to know you and after about 10 minutes put her back in her hide. Repeat process every couple of days extending the out of cage time - except after she's been fed then let her have some time to digest.

Most balls just need to learn that you aren't a threat (or food) and if you put in the time you can mellow them out - a few of them are just bad asses and theres not a lot you can do - but it's best to work with them while they are young and impressionable - and they don't bite so hard.

Good luck!
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Tosha
JET Pythons

Thank you all for responding to our call for assistance. This snake is absolutely gorgeous but a real witch. Goes into strike mode as soon as we come into view, and does not uncoil except to unload on my hand -- sometimes repeatedly. First snake I ever put on gloves for. When I hold her, she will occasionally strike out from my hands at my son -- no matter that he is standing four feet away. Otherwise remains absolutely rigid til she is returned to her tub. Peculiar. Great appetite though. Never says no to a meal. Anyway, thanks again for all of your responses. Too soon to get fussed but we may have to be happy just looking at this one.

pick it up....before it bites you......don't play with it too much....they are wild critters and they really don't enjoy being played with.....no matter what people tell you......balls hate people and just want to be fed and left alone....grab it before it grabs you is what I tell people...all balls will bite if you let them.........
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......wild balls suck ! BUY AMERICAN DAMNIT

I have one 2100g female who wants me dead. I use cereal boxes as hides. All I do when I need to clean her cage is pick up the box and put it back in when I'm done. She stays in there. If the box is soiled I put a new box in the cage and dump her out and close the door.